1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally in the technical field of encoding and decoding optical-machine-readable reproductions of information, also called identification codes, which are readable by a digital imaging device, such as digital camera in a mobile phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Different types of identification codes are well-known, especially in the graphical industry. One of the oldest types of optical machine-readable reproductions is the one-dimensional barcode. These one-dimensional barcodes are representing the data by varying the widths and spacing's of parallel lines. Barcodes originally were scanned by special optical scanners, called barcode readers. Later, digital imaging devices and interpretive software became available on devices such as portable mobiles.
The one-dimensional barcode is nowadays evolved to two-dimensional barcodes, also called matrix barcodes such as the Quick Response Code or QR code. The QR code was first designed for the automotive industry in Japan. A QR code on an item is scanned by a digital imaging device to read the content about the item which it is attached.
The ability of portable mobiles to scan QR codes makes this type of two-dimensional barcodes popular. For example a QR code, embedded in document markup language documents, such as HTML, contains a hyperlink to a web page. Another example is a QR codes, printed on a package, such as pharmaceutical package comprising a medicine, directs the operator of a mobile phone, after the QR code is scanned, to the specifications of the medicine on a web page.
The current available types of identification codes, such as QR code, are conspicuous in a reproduction of a document which makes it easier to interpret a content embedded in the optical machine-readable reproduction.
Also an identification code takes some place in a layout of the document which may be used for other content. Especially in small sized reproductions such as packages of medicines.